Need advice on hot chips from engine lathe

Howihowi · Feb 7, 2017

Dear seasoned machinists,

I'm in need of your experience and advice. I use the lathe more than any other machines in my shop. I have about 3 years of experience running engine lathes and I'm quite comfortable with it. But one thing I could never get used to are the burning chips that fly all over me. Obviously, when I turn I make sure that:
- no gloves
- eye protection
- no jewelries
- sleeves rolled up

This also means the hot chips land on my arms all day long. The worst is when the chips fall in my shirt and I start doing what my colleagues call the "machinist dance".

I'm used to cutting with carbides. The Machinery's Handbook tells me to spin her fast with a lot of feed. I was also taught to produce blue chips, that means the heat is in the chips and not the tool.

So let me get this straight - spin her fast, get the chips hot and blue, and let the iron rain on my bare arms and face. I must be missing something here. What do you all do? What's the trick?

One idea I had this morning was, spin her in reverse, and mount a left hand carbide insert holder upside down. So essentially I'm cutting upside down. I think this may greatly help as most of the chips will fly directly towards the floor and the catch pan. What do you think?

Thank you all in advance,

Howi

aerodark · Feb 7, 2017

Pocked, scarred, and blistered is the sign of an engine lathe hand. I never fully escaped the burn. The spinning chuck is the culprit for a lot of it. Collet work is easier for swarf containment.

deljr15 · Feb 7, 2017

Mounting the tool upside down will be problematic. That will put the cutting force in the upward direction. away from the mechanical advantage of the lathe. (wanting to lift the carriage)

Also if your not into production. Slowing it down to a gold chip might help. Back in school I was taught to make the chip leave gold and turn blue in midair.

Another thing that helps is a piece of cardboard or laminated paper. leaning on the tool post.

Jeremy · Feb 7, 2017

A simple hinged arm with a small sheet metal plate to block most of the chips would probably help a lot. You obviously can't see through it, but if sized appropriately, it'd be fine during the middle of cuts. Swing it out of the way when done.

onecut · Feb 7, 2017

Try making yourself a little shield out bit thin tin plate biscuit tin or whatever can have it under your tool in post and cut and bend to a shape to deflect the cuttings to a safeplace.Have top button of shirt fastened and elastic band on your cuffs.Still wont avoid them all but stop a lot. Magnets come in handy for such things but you can just slide tin plate under your tool then lock it down-And what do you mean about spin it fast not always the case its the feed that does the job

litlerob1 · Feb 7, 2017

Run CNC, with enclosure

Unfortunately those scars are hard to avoid, once I hired a guy who I didn't know from Adam, because he was missing two fingers knowhatImean? I have had some success with a piece of plexi or the like with a mighty mag attached to it, so I could kind of maneuver it when I needed to, but wasn't perfect at all. The best is when you get that hot ass chip in your shirt in the middle of single pointing and you just have to grin and bear it until your out of the cut.

I have also seen plexi covers, like on hinges that folded over the top of the chuck but I hated that because i didn't feel like I got a good view of the workpiece.

R

guest · Feb 7, 2017

I use a guard made up from loc-line parts with a mag base and a plexi shield on the end. Easy to position and it stays put.

Mtndew · Feb 7, 2017

A good lathe hand knows how to take a chip shower.

I've taken my fair share lol.
One hint that an old timer showed me about 20 years ago was to take a paint brush (horsehair? Camel hair?) and fix it to the tool post with a rubber band. Have the brush just above the insert and this will deflect the chips. Works REALLY good when cutting the bronze that sprays all over.
Another cheap,quick fix is just take a piece of cardboard and cutout a U shaped cutout so that it fits over your compound and blocks chips and coolant spray.

L Vanice · Feb 7, 2017

Some decades ago, Enco sold metal framed clear plastic hinged shields with two windows that attach to the back of the lathe bed. They cover the chuck and are wide enough to deflect the chips thrown by the chuck jaws. They work.

I have some chip hooks for dealing with long stringy chips. They are made for the purpose, with long flat spring steel blades and cast handles.

Also from Enco long ago are some clear plastic domed shields in several sizes that attach to standard magnetic indicator bases. I like them for use on the mill when the chips are flying toward where I am standing.

Larry

Dan from Oakland · Feb 7, 2017

One more little lathe trick- you learn to never tuck your shirt tails in when running a lathe and taking heavy cuts like you describe- you want the chips to go in and then go out just as fast!! And if they do stick, a little wiggle will get them out of there rather than just moving down a little and doing their thing a second time.

HuFlungDung · Feb 7, 2017

I wear a shop coat with long sleeves and a hard hat with a flip down full face shield (which mostly protects the neck area if I keep my chin down) and stand the hell back. If you are paranoid of the long sleeves then take the coat off when you are done the roughing. I do not recommend rolling up the sleeves because they can unroll, just better to take it off if you are leaning over the part doing the finishing.

pmack · Feb 7, 2017

What kind of engine lathe? Does it have a feed stop? Look for a little roller on the bottom of the carriage and a sliding ramp on the front apron or sometimes a rod. It will kick the feed off when the roller rides up the ramp. Some have it, some don't. If it does, use it for your roughing op, where the majority of the big, hot chips are generated. I have a little YAM with it, but I haven't ever had a guy walk in the shop and know how to use it. I've had to show them. If it doesn't have it, make the chips like little yellow nines. I have had plenty of burns on my right hand from being disciplined on the feed handle.

John Welden · Feb 7, 2017

It's fine to wear long sleeves and gloves if you pay attention and don't do stupid things that would get you caught up in the lathe.

You need to put up some kind of shield that will block most of the chips. It's been done a million times.

Frenchy · Feb 7, 2017

All part of the job. I'll second the piece of cardboard or chip brush on the tool post.

Just be glad you're not stuck in front of a CNC all day long with your brain turned off.

Another important bit of advise... Don't be standing around with your mouth hanging open when you're roughing parts in the lathe. It's not fun catching blue chips in your mouth!

-Tim

Lakeside53 · Feb 7, 2017

And don't wear polar fleece in a cold shop The chips melt in an you end up with one heck of an abrasive suit. Don't ask how I know.

Booze Daily · Feb 7, 2017

When I first got married, I spent a lot of time running engine lathes.
One day I came home with a bunch of burn marks on my neck.

She asked "Where did you get that?" :toetap:

I said from hot chips at work.
She said "You tell that Chips girl to stay away from your neck!"

moonlight machine · Feb 7, 2017

On some lathes the oil pump will not work in reverse, so if you are going to do much turning in reverse you will do it with no oil feed to the gears and bearings.

Bill in PA · Feb 7, 2017

The use of strategically placed guards help. I have also made small brass deflectors that clamp on top of the tool shank and can be bent in different directions as needed to deflect the chips. I also run coolant which helps the chips break better and they generally fall down when they break.

I generally run speeds and feeds for the best chip control. 95% of my work is not production, so if I run the lathe a little slower to get a nice chip, the effect on time is negligible.

Bill

inwoodcutter · Feb 7, 2017

The ones that fall on your arms or down your shirt aren't so bad. The ones that land on you lip or in you mustache are the worst. Nothing like pain and the smell of burnt hair. Unless you happened to have your mouth hanging open... One definitely learns to keep their mouth shut in front of a lathe.

TDegenhart · Feb 7, 2017

In addition to the chuck guard, consider using soluble oil coolant. Converted my 12CK and never looked back.

Tom

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